Posts

Showing posts with the label Jack L

Portugal claim 2nd Nations League title

Image
Portugal 2 - 2 Spain (Portugal won 5-3 on penalties) A dramatic night in Munich has two of the favourites for next year's World Cup faced off.  Author | Jack L Stadium | Allianz Arena Portugal defeated Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure their second UEFA Nations League title, following a pulsating 2-2 draw in Munich. Cristiano Ronaldo levelled the scores in the second half after a back-and-forth contest that saw both sides squander leads. Although substituted before extra time, the Portugal captain was overcome with emotion on the sidelines after Ruben Neves struck the decisive penalty and Diogo Costa saved from Álvaro Morata. Spain, the 2023 champions, took the lead midway through the first half when Martín Zubimendi pounced on a loose ball to finish from close range. But Portugal responded quickly as Nuno Mendes drilled a powerful shot past Unai Simón to equalise just five minutes later. La Roja regained the advantage before the break through Mikel Oyarzabal, whos...

Spain edge nine-goal thriller

Image
Spain 5 - 4 France Spain edged a breathless nine-goal contest against France to book their place in the Nations League final, with 17-year-old Lamine Yamal stealing the spotlight in Stuttgart. Author | Jack L Stadium | MHPArena The Barcelona prodigy struck twice in a dazzling performance as Spain raced into a commanding 5-1 lead. Yamal, already being tipped as a Ballon d’Or contender, won and converted a penalty, before adding a smart finish to cap a stunning attacking display.RE Goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Merino had put Spain 2-0 up before Yamal's spot-kick, while Pedri added a fourth after a slick move involving Williams. Kylian Mbappé responded for France from the penalty spot after Pedro Porro was penalised. READ MORE |  Portugal reach Nations League final Yamal’s second seemed to have killed the game, but France mounted a remarkable late comeback. Substitute Rayan Cherki announced himself on debut with a spectacular volley from the edge of the box, before a Dani Vi...

PSG are Champions League winners

Image
PSG 5 - 0 Inter Milan An extraordinary night in Munich saw PSG thrash Inter Milan to win their first Champions League Author | Jack L Stadium | Allianz Arena The French champions produced a dominant display to dismantle Inter Milan in what will be remembered as one of the most one-sided finals in the competition's history. Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, setting the tone for a ruthless performance from the French champions. Desire Doue doubled the advantage with a powerful finish at the near post, before completing his brace shortly after the hour mark with a clinical counter-attacking move. READ MORE |  Champions League: 2024/2025 Luis Enrique’s side were relentless, harrying Inter into submission. Their fourth came when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia calmly slotted past Yann Sommer after a well-timed run. Luis Enrique is now the sixth coach to win this tournament with two different clubs, having previously triumphed with Barcelona in 2015. He was watching ...

The race for next season’s Champions League

Image
We're all set for an interesting last few days of the Premier League season The race for Champions League qualification is heading for a dramatic conclusion, with five Premier League sides vying for three remaining spots on the final day of the season.  Author - Jack L Still work to do for Newcastle but Arsenal have qualified despite a difficult run Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe admitted, "I had the feeling it would go right to the end," after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. That result guaranteed Arsenal's place in next season’s Champions League alongside title-winners Liverpool. Arteta's side would have been hoping for more at the start of the season but qualifying again is still a reasonable achievement. The loss left Newcastle locked in a tense battle, level on 66 points with Chelsea and Aston Villa. READ MORE: Arsenal 1 - 1 Newcastle United   Who else is involved? Just behind them are Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, both on 65 po...

Barca and Inter play out a thriller

Image
Barcelona 3 - 3 Inter Milan Barcelona twice came from behind to earn a draw against Inter Milan in a pulsating six-goal Champions League semi-final first leg, leaving the tie finely balanced ahead of next week’s return fixture in Milan. Author - Jack L Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys The visitors stunned the hosts within 30 seconds when Marcus Thuram diverted Denzel Dumfries’ low cross into the net with a deft backheel, registering the fastest goal ever scored in a semi-final of the competition. Dumfries then doubled Inter’s lead after 20 minutes with an acrobatic volley that silenced the Montjuïc crowd and left Barcelona facing an early uphill task. However, the irrepressible Lamine Yamal soon dragged his side back into the contest. The teenager weaved inside from the right, jinking past several defenders before curling a sublime left-footed shot in off the post to halve the deficit. READ MORE: Champions League news and stories Yamal remained at the centre of Barcelona’s a...

Napoli keep pressure on league leaders

Image
Napoli 2 - 1 AC Milan Napoli kept their Serie A title hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over AC Milan, staying within three points of league leaders Inter. Author - Jack L Stadium - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Napoli took control early on against AC Milan, with first-half goals from Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku leaving the Rossoneri with too much to do. Milan had a golden chance to claw their way back when Santiago Gimenez won a penalty, but the substitute failed to convert, meaning Luka Jovic’s late strike was nothing more than a consolation. As the full-time whistle blew, you could sense the relief amongst the Napoli fans and players. This was an important win for them.  READ MORE: Can Napoli win the title? The defeat leaves Milan stuck in ninth place, now nine points adrift of fourth. Their hopes of Champions League football are all but over, with only a looming Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter offering a shot at redemption. A closer look at what happened ...

Mbappe couldn't inspire France in first-leg defeat

Image
Croatia 2 - 0 France France captain Kylian Mbappe's return to the national team ended in a surprising defeat against Croatia in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final. Author - Jack L Stadium - Stadion Poljud Ante Budimir's header bounced off the France goalkeeper and spun into the net, giving Croatia a 26th-minute lead. Former Tottenham winger Ivan Perišić then scored a well-placed shot into the bottom corner to extend their advantage just before halftime. Croatia could have been ahead earlier, but Andrej Kramaric's eighth-minute penalty was saved by Maignan with his feet, while Josko Gvardiol's powerful shot from long range was also kept out by the AC Milan keeper. France now face a tough task to turn the tie around in Sunday's second leg at the Stade de France. They have failed to win any of their last three matches in the Nations League when conceding first, with their last victory in such circumstances occurring against Spain in October 2021. M...

Burnley extend unbeaten run with comfortable win

Image
Swansea City 0 - 2 Burnley Burnley climbed into the Championship’s top two with a commanding victory over Swansea City, extending their remarkable unbeaten league run to 25 games. Author - Jack L Stadium - Swansea.com Stadium The Clarets were in control from the off, capitalising on an early mistake from Josh Key, whose slip gifted Josh Brownhill a simple finish from close range. Jaidon Anthony doubled the lead midway through the first half, smashing the ball high into the net after Swansea failed to clear their lines. Scott Parker’s side never looked in danger of surrendering their lead and set a new second-tier record in the process, registering their 27th league clean sheet of the season. The win lifts Burnley to second, a point ahead of Sheffield United, who take on Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. Meanwhile, Swansea remain 16th after back-to-back defeats, with the gap to the relegation zone now down to six points with eight games left to play. Burnley cruise past Swansea as Shee...

AC Milan interested in Crystal Palace defender

Image
From Crystal Palace to AC Milan? AC Milan are weighing up a summer move for Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell as they brace themselves for the potential departure of Theo Hernandez. Author - Jack L Playing for Palace in 2023 Mitchell, who has earned two caps for England, has been a mainstay in Palace’s defence this season, starting all 28 of their Premier League matches. His consistency and defensive reliability have reportedly caught the eye of Milan’s hierarchy, who are beginning to prepare for life without Hernandez. The Rossoneri are widely expected to part ways with Hernandez this summer, with both Real Madrid and Manchester City expressing strong interest in the French international. While Milan have opened talks with Hernandez over extending his contract, which runs until 2026, negotiations have reached an impasse, making a transfer increasingly likely. Should Hernandez depart, Milan manager Sergio Conceicao is understood to have identified signing a new left-back as...

Are Luton Town destined for another relegation?

Image
 Watford 2 - 0 Luton Town Watford put an end to a miserable run of five straight home defeats with a convincing win over struggling Luton Town in the M1 derby at Vicarage Road. Author - Jack L Stadium - Vicarage Road Tom Dele-Bashiru opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Mamadou Doumbia was brought down, before Edo Kayembe doubled the lead with a simple tap-in. Luton, who had won just once in their last 26 away games across two seasons , failed to register a single meaningful shot on target in the first half. Manager Matt Bloomfield is still searching for his first victory since taking charge in mid-January. Despite a winter transfer window overhaul, his squad remains a work in progress, with some players still adjusting to English football and others making the step up from League One, just as Bloomfield himself has. He had hoped for a quick turnaround, but that has yet to materialise. The win lifts Watford to ninth in the Championship, just three points off the play...

A perfect Friday night for Burnley

Image
Burnley 4 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Burnley made it 12 straight league clean sheets in a row and went two points behind second-placed Sheffield United. However, this wasn't as straightforward as the scoreline suggests. Author - Jack L Stadium - Turf Moor Wednesday have now conceded 16 without reply against teams in the top five this season and will wonder how they didn't go ahead during a dominant display. This was obviously before Marcus Edwards' 43rd-minute opener.  The away side had several good chances to make it 1-1 before Josh Brownhill and Connor Roberts struck from Jaidon Anthony's crosses. In the final moments of the game, Manuel Benson struck a goal-of-the-season contender with his weaker right foot from outside the box to compound the visitors' misery. Burnley extend their unbeaten league run to 21 games in style and are really dreaming of promotion and a return to the Premier League. A closer look at what happened Marcus Edwards was handed his firs...

AC Milan knocked out of Champions League

Image
 AC Milan 1 - 1 Feyenoord (Feyenoord won 2-1 on aggregate) AC Milan’s Champions League campaign came to a crushing end as they were held to a draw by Feyenoord in the second leg of their knockout play-off at the San Siro. Author - Jack L Stadium - San Siro The Rossoneri had the perfect start, overturning their 1-0 first-leg deficit within just 36 seconds. Santiago Giménez, facing his former club, scored the fastest goal of this season’s Champions League, reigniting Milan’s hopes of progression. However, their chances took a major hit when Theo Hernández was sent off in the 51st minute after picking up a second yellow card. Feyenoord capitalised on their numerical advantage, with substitute Julián Carranza heading in the decisive goal in the 73rd minute, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Dutch side. The last-16 draw on Friday will determine whether Feyenoord will face Inter Milan or Arsenal next month. Champions League: 2024/2025 More news from Feyenoord can be found here ...

Barcelona close gap at the top of La Liga

Image
Sevilla 1 - 4 Barcelona Fermín López scores and sees red as Barcelona close gap on Real Madrid Author - Jack L Stadium - Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla 1 -4 Barcelona youtu.be/KuJLQ_W0joo?... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 10 February 2025 at 16:09 Barcelona moved within just two points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid after a superb victory over Sevilla, in a match that saw Fermín López score and then get sent off in a dramatic 15-minute spell. With the game level at half-time, López came off the bench and made an instant impact, heading into the bottom corner with his very first touch to put Barça ahead. However, his night quickly took a turn for the worse when he was shown a straight red card for a knee-high challenge on Djibril Sow, following a VAR review. Robert Lewandowski had earlier opened the scoring in the seventh minute, reacting quickly to poke home Iñigo Martínez’s header for his 19th goal of the season. But Sevilla hit ...

Brighton come from behind to beat Chelsea

Image
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 - 1 Chelsea Brighton staged an impressive comeback to knock Chelsea out of the FA Cup and secure their place in the fifth round. Author - Jack L Stadium - Amex Stadium Chelsea took a somewhat fortunate lead early on when Cole Palmer’s lofted cross from the left was spilled into his own net by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. But the Seagulls responded well, with Georginio Rutter heading home from Joel Veltman’s delivery to bring them level. The turnaround was completed when Rutter turned provider, picking out Kaoru Mitoma—whose £54m move to Saudi side Al-Nassr fell through before the transfer deadline—who calmly lifted the ball over Robert Sánchez. Chelsea were incensed, arguing the goal should have been disallowed after the ball struck Tariq Lamptey’s arm in the build-up. However, with no VAR in operation for the fourth round, their protests were waved away. Click here for more Brighton news Carefree: This is the place for Chelsea stories and match...

Aston Villa sign three-time Champions League winner on loan

Image
Another Deadline Day signing for Villa They have also announced the loan signing of three-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio from PSG. Author - Jack L Marco Asensio becomes the 14th Spanish player to sign for Aston Villa ✍️🇪🇸 #AVFC [image or embed] — Aston Villa Statto ( @avfcstatto.bsky.social ) 3 February 2025 at 19:11 The 38-cap Spanish international Asensio joins Villa until the end of the current season. During a glittering career, he has lifted European titles with Real Madrid as well as domestic league titles and domestic cups in France and in Spain. He is comfortable playing on the wing as well as in an attacking midfield role. Asensio has also starred on the international stage, helping Spain win the UEFA Nations League in 2023. We believe that the deal does not include an option to make the move permanent. It does offer the player a chance to kickstart his career after a forgettable 18-month spell in Paris, where he made 47 appearances and scored seven goals. H...

AC Milan move closer to Champions League last 16.

Image
AC Milan 1 - 0 Girona Rafael Leão's first-half strike secured AC Milan a vital win over Girona, moving the Italian side closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16. Stadium - San Siro Author - Jack L The Portuguese forward expertly controlled Ismaël Bennacer's precise through ball, weaved his way into the box, and unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner – the only goal of the match. Girona thought they had equalised just before the hour mark when Bryan Gil fired in a stunning effort from the edge of the area, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Leão had a chance to double his tally in the 65th minute, but his curling effort drifted wide of Paulo Gazzaniga’s post. Milan now sit sixth in the table with 15 points, occupying one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the knockout stage. They face Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia next week. Meanwhile, Girona remain on three points and are out of contention for the play-off stage. A closer look ...

Jonjo Shelvey moves to Burnley

Image
Will the former Liverpool player make a difference to Burnley? Burnley have secured the services of former Newcastle United and England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on a deal running until the end of the season. Author - Jack L Shelvey playing for Newcastle United back in 2016 The 32-year-old joins as a free agent after his contract with Turkish Super Lig side Eyupspor came to an end. A five-cap England international, Shelvey also had a stint in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor. He arrives at Turf Moor after spending time on trial with the Championship club earlier this month. EFL: 2024/2025 Shelvey began his career in Charlton Athletic’s academy before moving to Liverpool, where he made 65 appearances. He left Liverpool in the summer of 2013 to sign for Swansea City, where he went on to play all but six games in the top-flight during his first season in South Wales. After three years with Swansea, scoring 10 goals in just under 100 appearances and gaining an additional five England caps, S...

Hull and Leeds produce a Championship classic

Image
Hull City 3 - 3 Leeds United Abu Kamara was the hero as his two goals helped struggling Hull City come from behind and take a point at home to the Championship leaders Leeds United. Author - Jack L After a difficult week for the forward, Kamara opened the scoring before lashing home a late equaliser. Ao Tanaka equalised for Leeds straight after the interval, Dan James converted a Jayden Bogle cut-back and Joel Piroe accepted a gift from home goalkeeper Ivor Pandur to put the visitors in control before some late drama. Joao Pedro gave home fans hope when he touched in with nine minutes to go and the comeback was complete in the 89th minute when Kamara fired home after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the area. With Leeds having won eight of their previous 11 league games and heading the Championship table, few would have expected relegation-threatened Hull to derail the visitors' promotion charge, but Kamara gave them a shock lead inside the opening five minutes. Late eq...

United win on Dundee derby day

Image
Dundee 1 - 2 Dundee United Top scorer Sam Dalby struck a dramatic late winner to hand Dundee United a thrilling derby victory at Dens Park, lifting Jim Goodwin's newly-promoted side to third place in the table. Author - Jack L Dundee took the lead in the second half through Simon Murray's penalty, awarded after a VAR check confirmed Kevin Holt’s handball. But United responded swiftly, with Vicko Sevelj nodding in an equaliser just four minutes later. Then, with two minutes left on the clock, Wrexham loanee Dalby smashed home his 10th goal of the season following a marauding run and pinpoint cross from Holt. Dalby’s clinical finish past Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson sent the packed away end into raptures and ensured United leapfrogged Aberdeen on goal difference. Meanwhile, the defeat sees Dundee slip to ninth. The result extends United’s impressive form, with just one loss in their last nine matches, and maintains their unbeaten run in eight consecutive derbies against the...

Portsmouth ease to win over Swansea

Image
Portsmouth 4 - 0 Swansea Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship's bottom three with a commanding victory over Swansea City at a rain-soaked Fratton Park. Author - Jack L Stadium - Fratton Park Josh Murphy's crisp first-time strike put the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute, and Paddy Lane doubled their advantage just seven minutes later, capitalising on defensive uncertainty. Swansea briefly looked like mounting a second-half comeback, with Josh Tymon rattling the woodwork, but Ryley Towler’s well-placed header eased any nerves for Portsmouth. A costly error by Cyrus Christie then allowed Colby Bishop to seal a resounding win. While John Mousinho’s side have struggled away from home this season, their improved form at Fratton Park has reinvigorated their fight to avoid a swift return to League One. Pompey have now claimed 13 points from their last five home games, scoring 14 goals in the process. For Swansea, it was a torrid afternoon as defensive lapses contributed to t...